DAY 28
Ah, now here’s one I’ve been avoiding for a long time: it’s Sartana in the Valley of Death (Mauri, 1970) and I’ve swerved it for as long as I have because tbh I’m not especially fond of William Berger and the perma-smug lop-sided grin on his face. Still, today’s the day, for better or worse.
Spagvember#28 Sollima: The Big Gundown
-Film I’m starting to like more and more over the years, 9/10. Watching the film in english isn’t that great pleasure though, you have to choose between torso version or composite version where audio changes disturbingly in some scenes almost every line. And watching it with italian dub you miss LVC’s voice. I wish that someone could restore the english track with voice actors and imitators.
LOL … Know exactly what you mean … re-watched ‘Sabata’ recently and that,‘Aren’t I so cool and handsome?’ expression really gets irritating - why the feck is he so pleased with himself!? 
However, ‘Sartana in the Valley of Death’, was a lot better than I expected, despite it’s cheapo sandpit look.
Enjoy!
Nah … that doesn’t work. I hate the dubbing on GBU … apart from Eli Wallach, the voices are terrible. The LVC impersonator is nothing like the original … the restoration people should have shopped around for someone who really could imitate Lee, or just go with subtitles.
Amazing the amount of hours that went into this project, and yet the technicians are tone deaf or apathetic if they think this is satisfactory.
With these films, we’re looking at something vintage/ of it’s time … it should not be tampered with, unless original elements exist.
hmm… It’s been a long time I watched the extended edition with new dubs but I remember liking LVC’s voice best. Wallach’s and Eastwood’s voices sounded too different, too old.
Simon Prescott is the guy. Some lines he sounds pretty close, others he’s way off.
Clint is terrible … how can he not sound like himself!? … he appears to be using a regional accent (slightly Southern) which was never present in the original.
I expect the dubbing people had the two elderly stars for a couple of hours and had to make do with what they captured. Who’s going tell Clint, ‘That’s shit, do it again!’ ?
Afraid I wasn’t convinced at all - LVC was so unique in his delivery, and sounds to me like he spits the lines out.
As a kid I tried impersonating him, by repeating the line “Not even the bank of San Francisco is that well protected” … bet you can all hear that in your minds ? 
I also learned to do the Klaus Kinski facial tic … which was great once I got it, but it then started for real when I was anxious. 
He literally resorted to a stereotypical textbook impression of himself 
No Spaghvember without Giuliano, so my diet was signed Gemma last week
Arizona Colt (1966, Michele Lupo)
***½
Probably the Gemma western that I have watched most often. Longer than most spaghs and never boring, but it cannot be denied that it has a few shortcomings: the romantic subplot doesn’t work at all (and Marchand looks ridiculous with that coiffure) and this shootout in the town street could’ve been a lot better. The movie’s coda (the final after the final so to speak), with Gemma and Sancho stalking each other, is quite nice, a bizarre blend of western and horror
California (1977, Michele Lupo)
***
Gemma and Lupo reunited, eleven years after Arizona Colt, for a movie that is almost the direct counter part of the first one: Arizona is playful, whimsical, California is solemn, down-to-earth. I still think this is the best of the Twilight Spaghs along with Keoma, but an atmospheric, well-directed first half is followed by a more traditional and predictable second. The finale has a nice trick with a bottle though.
One Silver Dollar (1965)
***½
Gemma’s breakthrough movie in Italy. It was more successful at the box-office than the two Ringo movies. A bit naïve in spots but it’s easy to see why it made such an impact in a society that was still looking for itself after WWII and its aftermath. Overall it’s a quite sentimental film, but the violent fistfights and sudden shootouts must have impressed international audiences: it was one of the first Italian westerns that was successful abroad. And what a lovely Rotoscope credit sequence
Among the Spanish early adopters of American B-Western filmmaking were not only the Ro-Ma bros but also the Balcázar brothers, Alfonso (1926–1993), Francisco, and Jaime Jesús (born 1934). Alfonso and J. J. both worked as directors, Francisco was a producer. The first Balcázar Western, the Alfonso-directed Pistoleros de Arizona (censura: December 30, 1 BL), keeps what its commonplace title promises: it tells the banal story of some courageous individuals’ fight against a corrupt land baron and his henchmen. On the other hand, it is a technically well-made film and features a good cast: fan-favorite Robert Woods in his first Western role, omnipresent Fernando Sancho as a bumbling but not-yet-so-brutish saddle tramp, and Berlin-born actress Maria Sebaldt in her only Western role.
To all appearances, Sebaldt, who had played such iconic characters as Virginia Peng, the queen-pin of crime, in Hans Quest’s comic book adaptation Nick Knattertons Abenteuer. Der Raub der Gloria Nylon (1959), ruthless wrestler Anni Prasuhn in Erich Engels’s Grabenplatz 17 (1958) and Charley’s aunt in Charleys Tante (Géza von Cziffra, 1963), did not wish to repeat her Spanish Western adventure.
Alfonso’s Pistoleros de Arizona and Jaime Jesús’s Oklahoma John passed the Italian censura on the same day, December 30, 1 BL; but O. J. was released a little later, in March 1 AL. Both follow the same formula: German, Italian and Spanish production money, American leading man, German leading lady, rest of cast mostly Spanish actors, traditional B-Western plot. In Oklahoma John, a brave sheriff takes drastic measures to rid his town of its corrupt ruling elite. Yes, hypnagogic.
A little dull, but historically important … film wise. 
Day 25
Quintana (Musolino /1969)
I like Musolino as a director. Wonky Batman villain lair angles and all. It is obvious this one had bugger all budget but he always tries to make it look interesting no matter what. Quintana is kind of cliched in many ways but I just like the honesty of it. There were plenty of directors working with more who turned out less.
Day 26
7 Pistols for a Massacre (Caiano / 1967)
Maybe because it’s title is so generic, I don’t know, but it turns out I had never actually seen this one before even though I assumed I had. Caiano was a pretty “by the numbers” director and this is a very “by the numbers” kind of spag but it had enough for me to enjoy so will have to look out for a decent copy to add to the collection. Another one I watched via Amazon Prime as work imposed itself on my Spagvember routine. A couple of doble bills today and tomorrow will get me back on track.
Day 27
You’re Jinxed Friend, You’ve Met Sacramento (Cristallini / 1972)
Largely tedious and overlong excuse for a western. Recorded this off Movies4Men about a year ago and it has been sitting on the set-top box ever since. Spagvember has given me the impetus to finally watch the damn thing and delete it. The deleting part was the most satisfying.
DAY 29
Well. My penultimate movie for Spagvember is Kill Django… Kill First (Garrone, 1971), a movie so wonderful that, according to Scherp’s review, director Sergio Garrone has no recollection of it. Sounds promising, eh?
Day 28
Django Kills Silently (Pupillo / 1967)
No classic but an entertaining enough lower tier spag. Eastman fits the lead well and you get Rossi channeling Kinski and Rick Boyd going full tilt scenery chewing so plenty to enjoy in that department. Some missed opportunities along the way but all in all a fun ride without particularly impressing.
Spagvember#29 Rossetti: The Dirty Outlaws
-Another which I had not seen for a long time and didn’t have much memories about. Solidly directed and cool looking film with all the mud and ghost town setting. It’s just seems to be missing something… more memorable villain could have helped maybe. 6/10
One more (to Hell) and it’s a wrap for this year’s spaghvember. Now, which one to choose? 
Yesterday’s film a Garrone, Not his best, but at least three good things here: Ida Galli as the most blue-eyed Mexican girl you’ll ever see, the ending, and the third I forgot. 5/10. (But some people here will easily rise that.)
And tonight a Castellari. So, this film was released in Italy on New Year’s Eve. And, sure enough, some fireworks here. According to the film’s page there should be two songs by Raoul in it, but I noticed only one. Boring action stuff. 4/10
